Just Like Siberia
by Titania Le Fey
Summary: Brazen and Snake PostLA get caught in a snow storm crossing the Colorado Rockies.
1. Just Like Siberia

"Snake!"

The urgency in her voice caused Plissken to stop in the calf deep snow and look over his shoulder. Brazen was pale standing in the swirling snow. Her cracked lips were starting to share the same blue hue as the clear mountain sky. They were both starving and freezing but Snake had been here before, Russia, Leningrad, and Siberia, the icy cold but his companion he couldn't be so sure about. The pass should have been clear but the snows had come almost two weeks early. Now they had to make the best of the unexpected weather.

"I can't" She wavered and toppled into the snow face first.

"Brazen" Snake watched her for a moment but she remained prone and motionless. Plissken trudged through the snow to her. Bending down he pulled her limp body from the sea of white. Snake knew she was dying or would die very soon if he didn't find a way out of this mess. Quickly, his eye took in the surroundings as he pulled her back to her feet. A dead car caught his attention as he encouraged her to walk.

"Come on just a little further then you can rest baby."

She tried to move her legs but they refused. Nearly a month together, she was a good shot and willing to learn. Snake had become accustom to the companionship again and now he wasn't as willing to give it up as he had been in all those years since Taylor's death. Plissken knew this situation from the war and something in his head kicked in. She wasn't just a companion. Suddenly, It was different. She was a squadron member and the war came rushing back. Reaching the driver's side Plissken brushed away the snow and threw open the door. It would be some cover from the wind at least.

She woke when he laid her back in the driver's seat. She was weak and listless but it was the way she mumbled that brought the most despair for her situation. She acted as though she was in a dream and that didn't bode well for a person with exposure. There was nothing he could do for her without finding some food and water. Plissken backed away intent on closing the door.

"Snnanake... pr-pr-p-p-promise me." He stopped looking in on the woman shivering and stuttering. Snake noticed the way her amber-brown eyes seemed hazy and unfocused. Everything about her condition was dire.

"Pr-r—promise me you'll come back." The look in Brazen's eyes as she spoke had that hypnotizing effect on Snake. There was so much pain in them. She shivered again mumbling as she drifted back into near unconsciousness. Plissken was worried about someone other then himself for the first time in a long. He hadn't felt like this since, he couldn't remember when.

Snake stripped off the long trench coat they'd given him back in LA. Instantly the bitter wind whipped over his bare shoulders. He hardly noticed. The war had taught him to ignore even the fiercest winds and freezing temperatures. He spread the coat over her body tucking it tightly around her.

"As soon as I can." Plissken whispered before closing the door. Standing for just a moment he stared in through the window. The wind was biting. Snow stung his exposed skin but Plissken kept on task relenting to the survival skills. He trusted them to keep him alive.

It was another ten minutes before Snake arrived at his destination. Excruciating pain burned over most of his body by the time he made it to the site of the crash. It was a USPF transport. Not what he'd hoped for but maybe there'd be something to eat. If there wasn't enough for both at least maybe something for Brazen.

Plissken slid through the gapping hole in the side of the fuselage and into the darkness. Without the wind and whipping snow the sub-zero weather was almost bearable. He couldn't wait for his eye to adjust to the shadows. Shuffling, he began to search. The first thing he contacted was a frozen body. Plissken didn't even flinch as he wrestled the coat off and pulled it on. This was about survival and these people didn't need their supplies anymore.

His eye finally adjusted to the dark and he hurried to collect anything useful. Heat pouches, bullets, a knife but still no food. His eye settled on the body he'd stripped of the coat. They needed food and if it came down to it… Plissken turned away from the body and his thoughts continuing to look. He was warmer now and moving faster. A pack of cigarettes was a welcome surprise but he almost tossed them aside too hungry to worry about addiction.

Plissken's methodical search of the plane from cockpit to tail finally bore fruit, in the most literal sense when he opened the side panel near the wing. There were quite a few kits of USPF rations. Canned peaches, pound cake and the world's most inedible beef or well now chicken stew but at the moment even thoughts of that bland mush caused Plissken to salivate. The rations came with sterile water. This would due. Snake grabbed a blanket he found. It was enough.

Plissken already felt like he had left Brazen too long. The trip back was swift pushed by fear. Snake found himself jogging back to the Junker through the brutal and ever deepening snow. He brushed the snow from the passenger side before climbing in, tossing the box on to the back seat as he pulled the door closed against the howling winds.

"Brazen?" She didn't move and Plissken felt a cold lump rising in his chest. He was troubled, fearing he'd left her too long.

"Brazen!" He shook her this time but her expression still remained calm and eerily peaceful.

"Susan!" Snake yelled shaking her violently. To his relief her body jumped at the sound of her name. She'd never told Plissken but Snake never left secrets lie. He had picked her pockets while she slept one evening, now he was glad for not trusting her.

She mumbled a name. Snake shook his head. "Snake. It's Snake."

Her brow knitted for a moment but then a smile struggled to appear. "You...you came back."

"Yeah and I got some food." That brought clarity back to her eyes. Snake pulled one of the ration kits up front along with the extra blanket.

"Come here baby." Snake opened his coat knowing that she needed to get warm or eating would do her no good. Brazen floundered as she tried to move. It brought one more surge of worry as Plissken pulled her into the passenger seat. Snake was freezing but she felt colder still. He muffled the blanket around her leaving only her face exposed to the cold air. Plissken took a moment to vigorously rub her shoulders both for warmth and to wake her up some. Brazen held tight to him shivering against his warmer body. Even through his shirt her hands were almost painfully icy. Mentally, he had even more apprehension concerning her feet. His eye fell to her wet boots and with intense resolve removed them and the damp socks beneath. They were bright red and swelling. Everything about her condition seemed to bring more concern but it also strengthened his determination. As gingerly as he could Snake adjusted her position on his lap and lifted her feet up near his body under the coat. She whimpered and tears streamed down her cheeks when the warmth began to build around them. Plissken felt his nerves stringing out from Brazen's state. Immediately, he changed tasks. If he didn't keep a cool, clear head they might both die up here.

Fishing in the box with his free hand he pulled out the can of peaches. It brought a welcome yet very quiet giggle from under the blanket. Plissken's brow arched in curiosity thinking the cold and pain had made her crazy.

"The p-p-papers… were r-r-r-right." She smiled even though blood pricked up on her cracked lips.

"What papers?" Snake asked with genuine curiosity as he popped open the tin.

"They... you…the... the peaches." Her voice was quiet but he made out enough to smile.

"Yeah. I really do like them." Snake smiled and fished a slice out with his fingers.

"You want one?" She was already grabbing for the can and he reluctantly gave it over. The hunger was a good sign even if her fingers were still cold and fumbling. Snake helped Brazen as much as he could while she ate but soon she was back to sleep. Plissken let her rest deciding once she warmed she might eat more. It would be a long night of watch in the dark car, clearing snow and monitoring her health. It was like the war all over again. Really everything always had been.  
Why change that now?


	2. Grateful

Brazen woke with the first light of dawn glittering through the uncovered portion of the windshield. Lazily she started to stretch her legs and arms to work out the kinks from sleeping in such an uncomfortable position. The disappointed groan startled her. She had forgotten about the man with her in the seat. Brazen smiled to herself as she laid her head back down on his shoulder. If it had been Malloy out here with her, she would be dead. Brazen knew he wouldn't have stopped for her but Plissken had. She reached up and touched his bristly cheeks. For all the reports he certainly wasn't the man she expected to find. He'd saved her life and watched out for her even if he was harsh at times. No one had looked after her since her father had been killed in a shoot out with crazies north of LA. After that the academy had taken her in because she was old enough to train. Sixteen was the start of her police career and she'd never heard of anyone else starting that early. She'd always been treated one of two ways. Most of the time she was looked at as nothing more then a pretty girl they felt like they could push around. Either that or she was held at arms length until her skills were deemed useful to save someone's reputation. That was why she was given the assignment with Plissken but they still hadn't taken her seriously.

"Stop that!" The voice was a quiet growl causing Brazen to freeze wondering what she had done. It took a moment before she became aware of the soft lock of hair in her fingers. She reluctantly let it go. Pulling her hand back it brushed against his rough cheek and she immediately pulled it away.

"I'm tired."

He grabbed her hand moving it down and resting it on his waist. He pinned it there with his arm and shifted under her. A few more grumbles and he was asleep again.

His words reminded Brazen of the night before. It left her to wonder how long he had been awake and how long it had been since the snow stopped. Slowly she sat up and squinted in the light coming through the open section of windshield. The snow was much deeper then she remembered it the night before. She could see all the open areas where Plissken had walked about during the night. The holes were deep, up to the knee, if she had to guess.

Brazen glanced back at Plissken still sleeping behind her. There was a ritual to last night that she vaguely remembered. He woke her every hour or so, asked her how she was feeling, if she was hungry. He would go on to check her hands and feet rub them vigorously and ask her to wiggle her toes. Then he's trudge out into the snow and brutal winds to ensure the car wasn't getting buried. Finally he would return with red, frozen hands and shivering. She would be back in his lap and he would return to staring out the opening in the windshield. Brazen had no idea how many times he'd gone through this series of actions. Most of the night she imagined. He deserved to sleep.

Brazen glanced back from where she was sitting on his knee to see his eye open and looking at her groggily.

"How's it looking out there?"

Brazen shrugged. "The snow looks deep."

Plissken glanced out the window at the light and frowned. "Are you ready to get moving again?"

"Aren't you tired?" Brazen couldn't believe his drive. After yesterday and a few hours of sleep he was ready to trudge through the snow again? Snake did reply instead he sat up and lit a cigarette.

"We'll start moving once I'm done." He motioned with the cigarette down the slope. Brazen could see the determination in his expression. There would be no arguing with him this time.


	3. I'm Serious

Snake lay back in the tent grateful to be out of the mountains and the snow. God did he hate the snow. He never really liked it and the war ensured he never would. 

"Why'd you do it Snake?"

"Oh, not this fucking bullshit again." Snake growled under his breath.

"You had to have a reason. A lot of people thought Robertson was full of --- Full of it. So why did you push the button?" Brazen was propped up on her elbow when Snake looked over.

"You don't swear, do you?" He asked more then amused and evasively trying to change the subject.

"Why should I?"

"Oh come on, just one. It's not going to kill you." Snake had found it entertaining that Brazen never swore. Even in the worst circumstances she never breathed one. Maybe she never even thought them but Snake had a mind to get her to swear one way or another.

"NO!"

Snake gave her a push sending her rolling off the air mattress and onto the tent floor.

"You're a chicken shit."

"So are you." She shot back making her way back up on the mattress. "Otherwise you'd tell me why you used the Sword of Damocles."

Snake glowered from the corner of his eye. Good Lord did she have the blackbelly skill to piss him off all the time.

"Do you remember before the police state?"

"No, not really."

Snake cocked his brow glancing over at her. "How old are you?"

Snake was curious now. She must have been even younger then he originally thought. Early or mid twenties was the oldest she could be.

"How old are you?" She was starting to pick up Snake's evasive behavior and it made him laugh.

"You read all my papers. Don't you know?" He missed bantering and Brazen always got so flustered.

"They told me they lost your birth information."

"Yeah, they lost it alright." Snake added with sarcasm. She got a curious look as he continued. "I burned it."

Snake watched her jaw drop and struggled to stifle the laughter.

"No, you didn't"

Snake couldn't stop the chuckled when he saw the surprise in her expression. "Do you really want to know when I was born?"

"Yes" Brazen piped in with child like excitement.

"March third 1967." Snake smiled watching her do the mental calculations.

"You're lying." She finally came out with. "You're not 47."

"46. Don't rush it baby."

Snake watched her study him intently before she spoke again. "You don't look that old."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Snake announced with a smile. She blushed. This really was too easy.

"Do I get a name too?" She asked with obvious enthusiasm.

"It's not Sue at least." Snake was poking fun at her and she huffed indignantly.

"Do you ever give a real answer?"

Snake grinned at her. "Steven." He garbled it in a mumble on purpose.

"What?" Her voice was full of shock.

"I only say it once. If you missed it too bad."

"You don't look like a Steven."

"Mom changed her mind after awhile too."

Brazen was enthralled and staring at him.

"She swore I should've been Dennis."

"Dennis?" Brazen made a disgusted face of disapproval.

"You know, like Dennis the Menace?"

Brazen burst into laughter burying her face in the pillow. Snake was pulling her leg, lying, but she would never know.

"You're worse." She mumbled into the pillow between giggles.

"I am?" Snake left it open as possible. It could have been a statement or a question.

"The worst." She replied looking up from the pillow with reddened cheeks.

"I like being the best." Snake replied in the cockiest tone he could invoke.

She slapped him playfully on the shoulder.

"Hit me again baby." Plissken honey coated those words. Brazen scoffed and turned her back to him.

"I'm going to bed." She snapped.

"You do that sweetheart." Snake patted her backside and she immediately elbowed him full force catching him in the arm.

"Get your dirty hands off of me."

Snake just laughed at her. She sighed her disapproval with the behavior and Snake held his breath trying not to continue laughing. He could torment her forever. He loved to torment her but he let it go before she got really pissed off. Snake pulled the covers up and glanced over at her in the dark. For all the arguments, he knew come morning she'd be clinging to his side. The thought only served to amuse him more as he closed his eye and attempted to fall asleep.

**EDIT:** This story is now linked in with the "From Enemies to Allies" Series that I have wrote. You can find that series here: http:// www.fanfiction. net /s/3222813/1/ (Remove spaces when you paste the address into the browser.) ENJOY!


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